Feel Love Deepen
by IridescentAn
Summary: Chihaya realises her love for Taichi. But some misheard words make him believe she loves Arata. The more she tries to come closer, the more Taichi is trying to distance himself off. Will they finally unite in a bond of love? Or would it forever stay one-directional?
1. Chapter 1

# Ch 1: People Would Always Ask If I Were Pining For Someone

_"As I look at her, I feel my pulse quicken. My heart beats a little faster every time her gentle strands of hair brush against my face. And every time I see her smile, it kills me inside 'cuz I know it's not meant for me. But still I smile and feel myself blush. Everyone knows that I love her- except herself."_

Staring blankly at Chihaya's face, Taichi was lost in a deep ocean of thoughts. " Ano, Taichi ...", Chihaya started, again stopping to notice Taichi's vacant eyes gazing at her. No response. Now she hit his forehead lightly as if she were knocking a door. Taichi hurried out of his daze. "Yeah, where were we ...". "Nowhere, baka!" Chihaya giggled. "Ne, Taichi, can we get down at the next stop. Pleeeease?" "Why the hell? We're still plenty of stops away from the venue. You're illogical Chihaya!" Taichi pretended to be disgusted.

"I want to see the Tatsuta River!"

"Can't we see it some other day Chihaya?!"

"I'll win my matches if I visit the Tatsuta! It's like good luck. Oh please!" Chihaya made a face.

"No way! You need stamina for your next match, Chihaya!" Taichi preached. "Isn't it Kana-chan?" hoping she would back him up.

Kana-chan smile was mischievously evil. It's preferred that Mashima-bucchou and Chihaya-chan should go. She leaned to Taichi's ears and whispered, "I'll manage the others. Good luck Bucchou!"

Taichi's face suddenly turned red. Everyone giggled except Chihaya. She didn't understand it all.

They got down at the next stoppage. Taichi was showered with thumbs-up signs. Busy with beaming around the Tatsuta, Chihaya didn't notice anything. She grabbed Taichi by the hand and rushed to the banks.

"Chihayafuru Kamiyo mo kikazu Tatsuta-gawa Kara kurenai ni Mizu kukuru to wa."

Taichi whispered, as he felt the cool autumn breeze kiss against his lips. He felt on the top of the world, as if he could achieve anything. Only if . . . .

_"If Chihaya were by my side, clasping her warm hands into mine. If we could stay, like this._

_Forever."_

Unfortunately, all 'ifs' are not meant to really happen. And Taichi knew that. And that's all that he wanted in his life. 'Wanting to be Meijin', that wasn't his true goal. He wanted to be better than HIM. Arata_. _If Chihaya loved him, Taichi would forego even the title of the President.

But only IF.

"Wouldn't it be great, Taichi, if . . . ", Chihaya's enthusiasm was at peaks.

"If Arata were here, isn't it?" Taichi mumbled, feeling a bit hurt.

"Hmm? You said something?"

"Nothing really. Continue. What would be great?"

"I don't wanna hear it! Damn! Damn everyting!" A voice was squalling inside Taichi's head.

"If we could stay here. Near the Tatsuta. Forever."Chihaya replied. "_Just me and you. " _She thought,afaint red blush painting her face in fifty shades of red.

Taichi smiled. Kinda glad that she didn't mention Arata. _"I'd definitely love it. Every moment I spend with you is heavenly. Chihaya." _Taichi thought, picking up a maple leaf and etching a few words on it. "What did you write? Show me!"Chihaya huddled over his shoulders, resulting in Taichi covering it deftly with his hands. "Nah, not showing!" Taichi chuckled mischievously, slowly getting up to let that lone leaf travel afloat on the glistening waters of the Tatsuta.

"Na, Chihaya"

"Umm?"

"Would you rather someone else was here with you?"

"What's up with that now?"

"Jus' askin', you know, nevermind."

Chihaya wandered off in thoughts for a while. "Wait, I'll do that too", she muttered, giving a freeze to her random thoughts," Gimme your pen." She scribbled down some words and followed what Taichi had done.

Taichi didn't even ask what she had written. She grumbled at Taichi's lack of curiosity.

Pouting her face like a puffer fish, she asked, "Aren't you gonna ask what I wrote? Ask me!"

"Fine, fine, what did you write Ayase Chihaya-san?"

"Nuh-uh! Not tellin'-", Chihaya broke into peals of laughter.

"You're still the asinine kid I knew back then, aren't you?"

After floating the leaf, they headed back, looking for a bus. It was getting dark. The twilight tinted the horizon in majestic hues as the sun took its leave from the firmament, escaping into a world of its own. Croquettes in hand, the duo boarded the bus to Nomori Prefecture. Chihaya was yawning heavily and soon began to catch a few 'z's. Taichi smiled at her naive face made sure she was really in a slumber by calling her name a few times. Assured, he blushingly slipped his hand in hers, feeling the warmth of her heart flowing into him as she leaned her weary head on his wide shoulders, and then –

He abruptly noticed something on Chihaya's palm, like backward writings in her own handwriting. "_It's the mark of what she wrote on the leaf .Careless Chihaya!" _Taichi thought, trying to interpret the words read what she had scrawled.

Her hand could only take the impression of a part of what she had truly written on that leaf.

What he read left him breathless, and trembling with hurt and numbness.

"DAISUKI DAYO, A-"

**Taichi's POV**

"'I_ love you, Arata'__.__ Chihaya really loves him. I'm better off dead. What good is my life if I don't get HER love?" He felt the warmth of Chihaya's cheek against his neck and smiled to himself. "If sh- she's happy, wh- what is my despair? What if she doesn't love me, atleast I –"a lone teardrop trickled down his hot cheek, dropping on his shivering hand. _

"_I love you Chihaya, I really really love you. _

_I'm sorry."_


	2. Chapter 2

# Ch 2: Rain Takes Longer To Dry

Not a resonance was heard in the dead silence of the night. It was 10 p.m. already. They walked side by side, in late autumn night, the breaths and sighs condensing into misty droplets just inches from their lips.

"Taichi, what's wrong?" Chihaya inquired, worry in her pitch.

Taichi nodded reluctantly. "_Every damn thing," _said his heart.

Suddenly, he noticed Chihaya shivering. A late autumn night near Nomori isn't in the least warm. Voluntarily, he took off his coat, covering Chihaya's back with its warm fabric. "Here, see that you don't catch a cold."

"Arigatou, I was fine anyway. Gimme your hand, Taichi."

"Wh-why?"Taichi stammered with bewilderment.

"I ain't wearing any gloves, am I?" she giggled.

Two hands unhurriedly clasped, the cold air between them closing in on the distance. Taichi flushed red, trying to screen his face with the lone hand. He was glad Chihaya didn't notice 'cuz she seemed to drift off in thoughts.

"_No weird thoughts, Taichi! You know she only loves Arata, don't you? This isn't meant to be anything. Just don't take it seriously!" _Taichi screeched from inside his head, but the head and the heart are made to be separate -

by Divine Will.

**Chihaya's POV**

"_I would do even without gloves, or your coat .I just craved for the warmth of your hand against mine. And if you really knew how I felt, you'd have noticed the faint blush streaking past my cheeks, now and when I was scribbling down on that maple leaf. I wish you'd notice, Taichi. So long, I'll just grasp your hand tight, 'cuz I only know – _

_Daisuki dayo, atashi no aisuru Taichi! (I love you, my dear Taichi!)' "_

It was late when they reached the camp. Having to have supper in an empty room with no one around except your one-sided crush (who already loved someone else, as he thought) was tough, especially for Taichi who was enveloped by an uncanny aura of heartbreak. Chihaya could see Taichi's 'down in the dumps' face, but thinking he was stressed due to the match, instead of trying to cheer him up, she let him be.

They met up with Kana-chan and the others after a hearty meal, but Taichi barely ate anything. Feigned unfortunate (as they pretended), but truly fortunately, all other rooms were taken but one. Kana-chan mischievously suggested that room to the duo, making them blush to fifty shades of red. But Kana-chan was evil, at least when it came to keeping Chihaya-chan and Mashima-bucchou together.

So, reluctantly, they strolled into the solitary room.

White curtains gestured in the breeze, letting into the room glistening moonlight like a rivulet of milky white aura. Two beds, joined together, spotlessly neat, stood on an end. On one of which Chihaya ran up, sprawling her exhausted self on the flower-print fabric.

"Ahhh…. I'm dead tired," she said in a childish tone. "I told you we had better not stopped there near the Tatsuta. Now you're tired and tomorrow, you've got those matches coming up. Chihaya, you never change!" Taichi yelled. "Are you my Kaa-chan, always so complaining?!" Chihaya giggled with a puff face.

Soon their luggage was brought in and it was past time for 'lights out'. The other members wished them a very 'good' night and Taichi caught some thumbs –up signs from Kana- chan.

She cuddled up into her comfy blanket. He budged not an inch from the window, the moonlight rivulet pouring in, illuminating up fractions of his face. Taichi couldn't catch hold of the feeling within – excitement, tension, happiness, melancholy, good luck or a bad one.

Nevertheless, he did lay himself down into his blanket, facing the other side, daring not to concur Chihaya's startling brown eyes."Oyasumi, Chihaya," he mumbled, she reciprocated.

He did face the other side, but only after his ears perceived her gentle snores. He led his honeyed eyes astray on her beauty- her eyes, her locks, the slight curl of her lips. Resisting the firm impulse of brushing her cheeks, he submitted to a less perilous desire. She is not an early bird, while Taichi rises early; she'd not know.

Interlacing his fingers into her light brown hair, he sparked a faint blush before devoting himself to the night.


End file.
